This was based on the great point to point layout by B-Man at turretboard.org and I've just made it as compact as possible. If anyone would prefer the point to point layout then B-Man's is there for all.
Video of Geiri's build:
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Creepy Fingers Effects Si Fuzz Face
Request and it's a quicky so I thought I'd do it while I had 5 minutes spare. This is Creepy Fingers Effects take on the silicon Fuzz Face, and is pretty much stock with a few changes and additions such as the 10 ohm resistor in series with Fuzz 3 to try to tame the common oscillation you can get with silicon Fuzz Faces. If you still get oscillation then increase that resistor value until it goes.
This was based on the great point to point layout by B-Man at turretboard.org and I've just made it as compact as possible. If anyone would prefer the point to point layout then B-Man's is there for all.
Video of Geiri's build:
This was based on the great point to point layout by B-Man at turretboard.org and I've just made it as compact as possible. If anyone would prefer the point to point layout then B-Man's is there for all.
Video of Geiri's build:
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Erm, I looked at my Creepy Face and the I/P goes onto tag 1 of the fuzz control, and the trannies are U.S.A.F. 2n404
ReplyDeleteCurse those 1k reverse pots! Tayda don't do them and that is the reason I wont do the Fulltone 70.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, If you ever come across a scheme for the Creepy Fingers Doomidrive, that would be excellent. Basically a Univibe clone but with added bass post...
Just use 1K linear with any of them mate. Reverse log gives you a better sweep for the Fuzz Face fuzz pot but linear still does the job perfectly well.
DeleteI did wonder, I suppose it would just act in the same manner as a regular Fuzz Face... And who doesn't have the fuzz cranked anyway
DeleteCorrection - Unidrive, not 'vibe'
Sorry, I'm a tool.
ReplyDeleteI have the blue Germanium one with bias control.
Maybe I'll trace it for you guys.
Yes that'll be cool, I'll do the layout if you do.
DeleteAny thing you suggest as a sub for the BC130C? I don't see it at any of the places I usually buy.
ReplyDeleteI'm going with a bc108c, I reckon it'll work.
DeleteThat I got. Thanks
Deletehey thanks mark. i requested it, and had no idea that it would be done so quick. can i use nos philips axial caps, and tropical fish caps without any fitment issues and can i sub 108c trannies for the 130c?
ReplyDeleteAny NPN Si trannie can be used, and likewise any cap type will be fine
ReplyDeleteTag it. Damn. I've built 3 or 4 Fuzz Faces, but this one is probably the best. I did a few mods to make it more bass friendly, and it absolutely screams. Transistors were 2N3904/2SC1815.
ReplyDeleteHa ha, nice one Ross. Quick layout, quick verification. :o)
DeleteHaha, was about to say this was verified, good job I refreshed the page. Damn that was quick, you speedy mofo :D
DeleteIf anyone's a Frank Zappa fan, this absolutely NAILS Jack Bruce's tone on Apostrophe. I may just box this with just a volume knob, as it seems to sound the best with the fuzz cranked. It's a bit gated on low gain, but that's the result of transistor choices (I despise lead-twisting, so I threw in a 2SC1815 for Q2, which probably isn't the best choice.) It's also not very loud.
DeleteShould be a nice easy fit in a 1590A with just a volume pot. And ooh hard luck Rick :o)
DeleteHaha, don't worry I'm not trying to turn it into a competition. Hmmm, although with the amount of nationalities represented on the blog the World Speed Pedal Building Championship could be a winner. My money's on Geiri :D
DeleteRoss, what did you do to make it bass friendly? I have convinced myself that I could use a bass fuzz. And Apostrophe is one of my desert island records.
DeleteOh and Ross, the BC108Cs I used worked very nicely, no gating at the bottom end of the fuzz pot. I did use a linear pot though but that shouldn't really make a difference. It's plenty loud too, there's a little oscillation when the fuzz and volume are cranked so anyone building this may want to add a filter cap.
DeleteThe only problem is the filter cap can change the character of a fuzz as previous layouts has taught me. That's why I omit them completely if one wasn't in the original because it may change it enough that is just doesn't sound and/or react the same. If you are getting some oscillation then try upping the 10 ohm resistor to maybe 22 ohms and see if that does the trick.
DeleteNo, that 'speed' trophy would go to Miro... the man is clearly addicted to solder fumes.....
Delete:D I guess i am :) Finishing up couple of boxes right now...
DeleteI think the speediest one was Naga Viper with something like 35 minutes from publishing to correcting an error in the layout and tagging it... :P
+m
Thanks Mark, it's only at the very top end so I think I can live with it. I said I'd do a 60s fuzz style pedal for one of the guys at work though so I may try that in the next one.
DeleteTo be honest, the mods were more due to the fact that I don't have some of the parts on hand (or couldn't find them on the mess they call my bench). 2.2u input cap-> 1u, 15n->22n, and the 39p cap went up to a 47p. I guess this makes it more of a Sunface/Creepy Fingers/DAM hybrid. I didn't match the transistors either, but you probably should. Fuzz pot was a linear, as I don't have any 1kC available.
DeleteHaha I just happened to see my name there Madferret! Know what, I saw Mark said this could be done in a 1590A. I'm gonna do it since I'm getting loads of 1590A in a couple of days. I'll time it and see how it goes. I must say that my weakness is definitely 1590A. I'm quickest with 1590B enclosures but hey, I need to practice ;)
DeleteHow do I make this a one knob fuzz?? Please help!!
DeleteMark and everyone here, you guys are the best. So glad I found the site, it really is a helpful community. Would also love to know too how to make it more bass friendly, I could always use another good bass pedal, as they are few and far between. And I could use it as an excuse to make multiples ones. lol. I forgot to ask before, but if I want to have an LED I need to run a resistor from the stomp switch, right? And can I put a power jack on it and daisy chain it?
ReplyDeleteI also forgot, what should the HFE rating be for the trannies? I have a few different types of NOS 108c's coming to me which range from 300-450.
DeleteI suspect the 2u2 cap at the input is plenty big enough for bass, but the 15n at the output followed by the 100K volume pot creates a high pass filter which starts cutting low frequencies at about 106hz when at full volume. If you increase that to 47n or even 100n then it will reduce the cutoff frequency and make it bass friendly.
DeleteHmmm, I'll have to try both and see which works best. Can not wait till the parts show up so I can built this.
DeleteMark - is there a resource with information on what caps and resistors impact what frequency ranges? I'm trying to figure out that kind of thing so I can more informed experiments with components. Cheers!
DeleteIn a circuit when you see a cap in series with the signal path followed by a resistor (or of course a pot) to ground that is a high pass filter. When you see a resistor in the signal path followed by a cap to ground it's a low pass filter. The corner frequency of these filters can be calculated using something like this:
Deletehttp://www.muzique.com/schem/filter.htm
I'm gonna build this baby this evening with BC108Cs
ReplyDeleteWill report back
Done
DeleteAmazing fuzz !
I put the output cap on a dpdt, the stock 15nf sounds pretty fat actually. I tried 2n7 which didn't make much of a difference. Then i put a 560pf which sounded great but with too much volume drop so i ended with a 1nf. I'll keep the switch with both values.
I tried with and without 100µf filter cap, no difference with a battery
Oh and i put a 47pf instead of the 39pf on the layout as i don't have any of those, same goes for the linear 1k pot which is perfect.
Very different from the analogman sunface, this one will end boxed for sure, totally worth it.
Thanks again for this superb layout !
Good stuff. Filter caps won't make any difference with a battery. It's only main supplies that will need filtering and/or smoothing. The 39pf is another filter which cuts high end by reducing bandwidth in the higher frequencies. When you increase it you will cut more highs, so if anything it will just be that little bit smoother. Anyone interested in reading up on it should search for the Miller effect.
DeleteHey guys, I was wondering if it makes sense to use the method below to wire the 3PDT switch, jack, LED, etc. since there is only 1 ground. What do you think? Also, do I need a resistor for the LED or is it on the board?
Deletehttp://www.beavisaudio.com/techpages/blocksfragments/
How would I use this to run pedals in one box. I'm looking at doing a super hardon with a Shin Ei FY2 Companion Fuzz.
Yes, an offboard led is needed for this layout
DeleteI don't get your question about the 3pdt, there always is 1 ground which is commonly the 0V
So you could use the one from beavisaudio or this one : http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.fr/2012/02/offboard-wiring.html
if you look at the one from beavisaudio that's linked on that page the board has 2 ground locations or am i missing something?
DeleteLink from offboard wiring - http://www.beavisaudio.com/techpages/StompboxWiring/
They are connected somewhere in the circuit, you only have 1 ground.
DeleteIn this case they are both connected to the enclosure via the jacks
Cool, thanks Alltrax. I didn't get why there would be 2 ground locations on the board.
Deletejust built this one with BC109C's. it sounds great and has plenty of low end with a bass, even with the 15n cap.
ReplyDeleteAwesome again and yes, this is a great community! I'm definitely going to try this and some things and report back. Thanks everyone.
ReplyDeletep.s. - I'd like to see a survey if not done already as there are sooo many fuzz pedals and on this page and what people think the very best is!
Equinox
Yes so many fuzz pedals, Of the ones I've built from here, I thinkg the Fulltone '69 was one of the best, very good for a germanium fuzz. The Fulltone '70 is also very good for a silicon fuzz, think I'll make this one now just to compare. You can never have enough fuzz pedals.
DeleteJust slapped this together. Fantastic! This one is going straight to the board. A different flavor than the AM Germanium Sun Face. I used a bc108 and a 2n2222. Thanks again for all the layouts!
ReplyDeleteI wanted more gain, so I put in two 2n5089, both with about 540 hfe. Sounds great!
DeleteIs there a ratio of gains that work best for SI fuzz faces? I know on germanium versions you use different gains. What should q1 & q2 be if different? thanks as always.
ReplyDeleteJust boxed it into an Eddystone 1590A-sized box (a mm narrower and shorter than the hammond). The pots fit side by side, just.
ReplyDeletePics to follow, thanks again.
finally made this pedal, but was curious, if this is an NPN circuit do I wire the switch just like in the offboard section on the site? Also, I saw a picture of the inside of a special version of this pedal and the 15nf cap was a 10nf cap. How would changing the cap to the lower value affect the sound?
ReplyDeleteWorks great, thanks!
ReplyDeleteHere is my build using an old headphones enclosure:
http://i39.tinypic.com/2lkwg0z.jpg
Ha, awesome :o)
DeleteSo, for the upper transistor, we have to twist the pins? No mistake here, right?
ReplyDeleteYes, you need to twist the pins. I have spent a lot of time debugging, when I realized that the pins were wrong :)
DeleteYes, same happened to me! -D Thanks for fast answer!
ReplyDeleteThe original transistors were BC130 which were TO18 metal can form. With the pins being in a triangle it means there is no "correct" pinout for them because any layout can be accommodated by just rotating the transistor and altering which pin is in the middle. So in those instances I would do a layout that assumes you'd be using the same transistor or similar (2N2222A, BC108, BC109 etc) and so just use the pin order that best suits the layout rather than being tied to a specific order.
DeleteIf you're using a TO92 transistor then you are stuck with the inline order and so yes you would need to twist two pins, or maybe do what they did with the Meathead and use a 2N3904 and BC182L so you have the correct layout.
Just finished wiring this and used 2 rare bc108c trannies with a 450hfe and its insanely loud and fuzztastic. Question though, its a little shrill with the fuzz all the way up, if i change the 15n cap to a 10n cap, how will it affect the sound? Would it have more bass? Also, how does the hfe alter the fuzz/gain of the pedal? Cause I'm hoping to get it closer to this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzHiGKq9lpY
An output cap smaller than 15n will DECREASE the bass.
ReplyDeleteTry a cap slightly bigger than 39pf for that one or a resistor slightly bigger than 10 ohms to tame the shrill a bit.
Transistors in the 120hfe range will make it less compressed and more old-school fuzz-face.
Still haven't boxed mine up.
What resistor size do you think would be good in place of the 10ohm? I was thinking about a 47pf cap in place of the 39pf cap. Btw, to describe the sound better if I roll the fuzz all the way down it's still a fuzz monster, and I can only describe it as darker sounding, like if you rolled the treble down on your guitar. Don't get me wrong I love it as is, just thought it had a little more bass to it, or do fuzz faces normally have a more trebley sound? Also, I posted a gut shot of the one in the video below.
DeleteIt's going to be pretty woolly with that big 2.2uf input cap. Nature of the beast.
DeleteIs the fuzz pot doing anything at all?
Try a 1uf on the input instead of the 2.2uf if you have one handy and it won't wreck the board.
A 47pf isn't that much bigger but try it!
what would be good in place of the 39pf then? What about the 15n output cap? What does changing the value do to the tone? I really want to keep it with the 2.2uf as all the caps are some NOS parts like what Brad Davis actually uses when he makes it. BTW, I was wrong about when the fuzz knobby is adjusted, it does affect the fuzz rather than just alter tone.
DeleteThis is the guts of the one in the youtube video with Bob:
http://www.effectsbay.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/play-this-riff-creepy-finters-silicon-fuzz-face-signed-give-away.jpg
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have a "problem" with this fuzz, sounds so good with both knobs at maximum, but GAIN only works in the 1 to 4 o'clock if I put gain at minimum or even at half, I get no sound. Does it happen to you too?
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Sergio
Mine worked just fine. Instead I used a 2K pot for the fuzz, which made no fuzz at all at its minimum, and changed dramatically from 12 to 5 o'clock. I suggest you check the solder of the pots and test their resistance with a multimeter.
DeleteDo the transistors need to be matched?
ReplyDeleteNo. as a matter of fact, most people prefer Q1 to have a lower hfe than Q2.
DeleteThank you very much for the info!
DeleteWhen twisting the leads on transistors like you would have to do on the Q1 of this circuit, do you need to make sure that the leads don't touch each other, specifically C and B? If so, does anyone have any tips and/or pictures that would help a brotha out?
ReplyDeleteThanks in advance!
correct, the leads can NOT touch each other. you can either kill the transistor, and the pedal will NOT work.
Deletewhat i do is use a piece of the insulation from the wire used to wire up the switch, jacks, pots, etc. when i cut the leads of the transistor down i measure the length of the insulation so that it fits perfectly, similar to what you find in DAM pedals like in the link below:
http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv6/gibson-bluemoon/0C9D2A95-03E1-43DE-8FF8-E48AC4E8E0E3_zps7dnasyzp.jpg
How do I go about making this a one knob version to fit into a 1590A? Do i connect fuzz 2 and 3 into the input jack? or?? Please help, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFinished it today and it fired up on first try. Used 2N3904s. Def. sounds best with fuzz all cranked.
ReplyDeleteI also built using 2N3904s. It sounded a bit gated, so I replaced the 8K2 with a 4K7 and it's much better. Great pedal, it's more high gain than I expected a Fuzz Face to be, but that's probably because of the trannies.
ReplyDeleteI did a point to point version with the 108s - lovely. Great screaming tone, quite muiscal for a fuzz i reckon.
ReplyDeleteHere's a pic: https://ibb.co/cheXrx
Will this work with pno germanium if I switch the positive and negative wires?
ReplyDelete